History is fascinating in its own right, ranging from the poignant to the gruesome and the everyday to the bizarre. By studying History, we can appreciate the story of our own country and its place within the wider history of the world. History is an impressive subject to have on a CV as it teaches the skills of explanation and analysis. The high level skills taught at GCSE History are transferable to any other subject or career and this is recognised by colleges, universities and employers.
History has always been my favourite subject. When I took decided to take it in year 9 I thought it would be more or less the same. However, it became much more exciting as we learned about things in a greater depth and detail.
The subject has really helped me discover what I want to do in the future and where I want to take my life. Overall, the subject is really enjoyable and really exciting to learn about. In addition to this, all the history teachers support every single student and help you to progress further. Anwen Y11
I enjoy history as it is interesting to learn about how humans have developed over time through generations and how those people lived before. Often we take for granted the discoveries other people have made enabling us to live like we do and I think those initial discoveries should not be forgotten. Dominic Y10
Year 7 History
|
Teaching Time |
Enquiry Questions |
Skill |
Topic/Content |
|
Autumn Term |
‘’Why is 1066 such an important year in English History? “How did the Normans take control of England?” |
Causation Source Comprehension Chronology Change & Continuity |
What is History? Who were the Anglo Saxons? 1066; The Year of the Three Kings How and Why did William win at Hastings? How did William take control? The Feudal System, Domesday Book & Castle building |
|
Spring Term |
“Was life always unpleasant for ordinary people in the Middle Ages?” “Why was the Middle Ages so Violent?” |
Evaluation Interpretation Significance Evaluation |
The Peasants Year Growth of Towns Health & Disease & The Black Death The role of Women The Church Henry II & Beckett King John & Magna Carta The Peasants Revolt The Crusades The persecution of Jews |
|
Summer Term |
“Meanwhile, Elsewhere…What was happening in other parts of the world during the Middle Ages? |
Change and Continuity
|
The importance of Baghdad Mansa Musa |
Year 8 History
|
Teaching Time |
Enquiry Questions |
Skill |
Topic/Content |
|
Autumn Term |
How did Henry VIII deal with the succession crisis? Why did religion cause so much conflict in the Early Modern Period? |
Consequence Source work |
|
|
Spring Term |
Why is it so difficult to find out about conditions on slave ships? |
Source work Causation Source work Causation |
|
|
Summer Term |
What changed Britain the most, the Industrial Revolution or the British Empire? |
Causation Source work Significance |
|
Year 9 History
|
Teaching Time |
Enquiry Questions |
Skill |
Topic/Content |
|
Autumn Term |
“Why did women gain the vote in 1918?” “Why is it so difficult to find out about conditions in the trenches?” |
Causation Source work Source work Significance |
Suffragists and Suffragettes War work Reasons for the outbreak of the war Weapons Trench conditions A global war? Treaty of Versailles |
|
Spring Term |
The Long Shadow; what were the consequences of the Great war? What was life really like on the Home Front? |
Consequences Source work Causation Source work |
The Russian revolution The American boom Treaty of Versailles The Great Depression Hitler Evacuation Rationing Bombing |
|
Summer Term |
“How should the Holocaust be remembered?” “Why was the experience of Black People in Britain, South Africa and the USA so different?” |
Significance Similar and difference Change and continuity |
Reasons for the Holocaust The Windrush generation Civil Rights in the USA Apartheid in South Africa |
GCSE History Years 10 & 11
Course Leader: Mr P Billimore
Contact Email: pbillimore@tgschool.net
Examination Board: Edexcel
Assessment: 100% examination
Edexcel GCSE History in Year 10
|
Unit of Study |
Topics |
Teaching time |
Exam information |
|
Paper 2 (British unit) Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88 |
Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest, 1060–66 William I in power: securing the kingdom, 1066–87 Norman England, 1066–88 |
Sept-early January |
Written examination: 1 hour 45 minutes with American West paper 20% of the qualification 32 marks |
|
Paper 1 Medicine in Britain, c1250–present and The British sector of the Western Front, 1914–18: injuries, treatment and the trenches |
c1250–c1500: Medicine in medieval England c1500–c1700: The Medical Renaissance in England c1700–c1900: Medicine in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Britain The British sector of the Western Front, 1914–18: The historic environment c1900–present: Medicine in modern Britain |
January to the end of the Summer term |
Written examination: 1 hour and 15 minutes 30% of the qualification 52 marks |
Edexcel GCSE History in Year 11
|
Unit of Study |
Topics |
Teaching time |
Exam information |
|
Paper 2 (Period study) The American West, c1835–c18 |
The early settlement of the West, c1835–c1862 Development of the plains, c1862–c1876 Conflicts and conquest, c1876–c1895 |
Sept-December |
Written examination 1 hour 45 minutes with Anglo-Saxon and Norman England paper 32 marks 20% of qualification |
|
Paper 3 The USA 1954-1975 Conflict at Home and Aboard |
The development of the civil rights movement, 1954–60 Protest, progress and radicalism, 1960–75 US involvement in the Vietnam War, 1954–75 Reactions to, and the end of, US involvement in Vietnam, 1964–75 |
January-April |
Written examination:1 hour 20 minutes 52 marks 30% of qualification |
Why should I study this subject at Key Stage 4?
History has some great stories and they are real, sometimes all too real, as you will discover on this course!
Skills developed
Studying History at GCSE level will allow you to develop your thinking and reasoning skills, improve your analysis of different types of evidence and will allow you to produce cogent arguments.
Studying History at Sixth Form
Students can continue studying history as an A Level here at Thomas Gainsborough School.
A Level History Edexcel
|
Unit of Study |
Topics |
Teaching time |
Exam information |
|
Paper 1 (Breadth study with interpretations) Germany and West Germany, 1918–89 |
Weimar Republic 1918-1933 The Third Reich 1933-1945 FRG 1949-1989 How far was Hitler’s foreign policy responsible for the Second World War? |
Sept-June (year 12) |
Written examination: 2 hour and 15 minutes 30% of the qualification 60 marks |
|
Paper 2 (Depth study) The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911–46 |
The Liberal state, c1911–18 The rise of Mussolini and the creation of a fascist dictatorship, 1919–26 The fascist state, 1925–40 Challenges to, and the fall of, the fascist state, c1935–46 |
Sept-June (year 12) |
Written examination: 1 hour and 30 minutes 20% of the qualification 40 marks |
|
Paper 3 (Themes in breadth with aspects in depth) Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII, 1399–1509 |
1 Changing relationships between crown and the nobility: 'overmighty subjects' 2 Changes in the sinews of power 1 The crises of 1399–1405 2 Henry V and the conquest of France, 1413–21 3 Renewed crises and challenges, c1449–61 4 The Yorkists divided, 1478–85 5 Henry VII: seizing the throne and trying to keep it, 1485–97 |
July-Mar (year 13) |
Written examination:2 hours and 15 minutes 30% of the qualification 60 marks |
|
Coursework Witch hunts |
Reasons for the Witch hunts |
July-Mar (year 13) |
Internally assessed 20% of the qualification 40 marks |
Extra Curricular
Students have the opportunity to take part in a number of history related trips.
Department Staff
| Mr P Billimore (PBI) | Head of History | Contact |
| Mr S Bishop (SBI) | Teacher of Access | Contact |
| Miss B Fairs (BFA) | Head of History & Religion, Philosophy and Ethics | Contact |
| Mr M Gibson (MGI) | Teacher of Humanities | Contact |
| Mrs K Wells (KWE) | Teacher of English | Contact |
| Mrs N Wilby (NWB) | Assistant Headteacher (SENDCo) | Contact |
